Increasing outbreak of infectious diseases in student hostels a cause for concern

Visakhapatnam: Cramped rooms, poor water quality, shared toilets, substandard food, and inadequate sanitation in student hostels in Andhra Pradesh are creating a fertile ground for the rapid spread of infectious diseases. Additionally, lack of supervision exacerbates the situation for students. Recent outbreaks in various govt educational institutions have included viral fevers, diarrhoea, food poisoning, vomiting, rat bites, and even more serious conditions like viral hepatitis and myocarditis, particularly among young children with weaker immune systems. While many cases involve upper respiratory tract infections and fevers, the crowded environment facilitates the transmission of diseases, potentially affecting dozens or hundreds of students. Implementing preventative measures early on can significantly reduce the risk of such outbreaks.Before hundreds of students experienced fever and other symptoms on Wednesday, nearly 50 children had fallen ill in a social welfare hostel in Yeleswaram, Kakinada district, on Tuesday. Five students of a social welfare residential college for women were bitten by rats while they were sleeping in their hostel in Srikakulam on Monday. About 10 kids suffered from illness after eating allegedly contaminated food in Tirupati two weeks ago. Three kids died and tens of students were hospitalised due to suspected food poisoning at an unauthorised childcare home in Anakapalli district about a week ago. While some incidents are coming to light, others are being kept under wraps by officials.Speaking to TOI, Dr P V Sudhakar, former principal of Andhra Medical College and dean of NRI Institute of Medical Sciences, said that viral fevers can affect any organ. “We are seeing most cases with respiratory system infections in students. However, there are also rare cases with viral myocarditis and viral hepatitis. Students should avoid crowded environments and should use masks. Distancing from affected people can help reduce transmissions,” said Dr Sudhakar.Dr K Rambabu, director of Visakha Institute of Medical Sciences, advised students to prefer consuming hot water and hot food, given the recent infections.We also published the following articles recently